In The Chair With: Fantasy Hair Braider Kayra Theodore

“In The Chair” spotlights the incredible hairstylists and makeup artists in our community who are giving us major inspiration. Each week, they discuss their personal beauty and career journeys, what they’ve learned from their clients, and their top glam tips.

“Most of my life was planned and done for me,” hair artist Kayra Theodore tells ESSENCE. From wearing a school uniform to living out her mother’s dreams through ballet, tennis, and piano, “my future plans derived from what the people around me deemed as what was good for me.”

Believe it or not, “hair was the first thing in my life that I struggled to take charge of even though it wasn’t for the right reason,” Theodore says. Growing up Haitian in America with mostly white classmates, she was bullied in middle school for her hair. But, since her mother did it, she’d sneak in the bathroom and change her hair before class. 

It wasn’t until a year later that she finally told her mother she wanted to straighten her hair. Then, in high school, she turned back to Black styles, specifically large box braids. But, “the salon said they wouldn’t do the style,” she recalled. So, “I went home and on my first try I recreated it perfectly and never looked back.”

By college, braiding was her side hustle. But, she started getting more imaginative with her braid styles, which has since earned her over 300,000 followers and tens of millions of likes across social media. “I never let myself think it could become the main job, and I never thought creative hairstyling on myself and others would ever put me in this position,” she says. Then, it did.  

From partnering with Adidas and Aveda to doing hair on Nara Smith, and even heading her first-ever hair show, “Untied,” after winning the Instagram Draft Fund, Theodore is the fantasy braider to watch. Most importantly, “I’m connecting with people on such a meaningful level,” she says. “For someone to hire me to do such an imaginative style for their project or personal wants, it has always been a safe space.”

Ahead, Kayra Theodore debunks hair myths, talks about her inspiration, what hair heals in her, and more.

What She Loves Most About Hairstyling:   

I love what it’s given others. Before the pandemic, I found myself. During that process, I realized that in life, purpose is tied to how you can help someone outside of yourself. It’s important to me that my gift of creativity should help others in some way. It’s not that I have to be saving lives on an operating table to have real value and purpose in those world, just help others in my own way. To hear people share to me their stories, how my work has given them confidence to try new things, to be unapologetically themselves, to feel seen… that is my gauge on if my creativity is actually making a difference outside of my own life. I love that I’m making a difference. 

Her Favorite Hair Products:

I’ve been using Gummy Hair Gel like it’s nobody’s business. She will slick your hair! I’ve also being using Cécred Edge Drops and their Hair & Scalp Balm. Doing so many creative styles on myself takes a lot of manipulation, so using products that promote growth and moisture goes a long way. A lot of brands will send me things to try and I love leave in conditioner sprays, oils, and anything protective style friendly.

Her Favorite Hairstyles:  

I’ve been incorporating my swirl curls back into rotation because it truly is one of my signature styles. But, every style that I last did is my favorite. It’s hard to choose because every style has its own unique story to how it came to life and they all live in my heart. 

Her Top Tip for Healthy Hair:

Manipulating it as little as possible. I know that sounds nuts coming from someone who changes her hair almost everyday but I noticed when I give my hair breaks and don’t change it so much, it retains more length. Also moisture retention is big. Dry ends cause breakage so a cute little spray goes along way.

A Hair Myth She’d Like to Debunk:

I’d like to de-bunk this idea that any curl pattern past 4a is harder to manage. If you take the time to learn each texture, you can practice techniques that safely transition any texture into their own version of a style you are trying to achieve. I’d love for fashion shows and other higher end jobs to stop straightening 4a-4c textures as the “easy and neat” way out. Why do we associate luxury with slick and straight? Yeah, let’s debunk that. 

Where She Finds Inspiration:

I find inspiration everywhere. My style is very unique and I like to revisit my experiences, study architecture, nature and the shapes around me to inspire what I do. Life is a huge inspo board, so why not pull from it?       

What Hairstyling Heals In Her:   

Where do I begin? Let’s start with me. My first hajr show “Untied” revisited the moment I became aware of how my hair was perceived by others. That experience led to me being bullied for my hair looking different. I was also bullied for my forehead. It’s very prominent, and while I began straightening my hair to fit in, I would do this deep side part and swoop my too long of a bang to cover my forehead. 

I carried that insecurity with me until towards the end of college. I was in love with cornrows on others but felt my forehead would be too big. I fell in love with cornrow designs so much that I decided I didn’t want to live my life around something I didn’t even choose phenotypically. Braiding has healed the perspective I had on my insecurities. I hope that not only will my work encourage you to embrace the things about you that make you unique, not change who you are to fit into society’s idea of who you should be.